The best cloud storage for most businesses is the one built into the platform you already use: OneDrive and SharePoint with Microsoft 365, or Google Drive with Google Workspace. Choose Dropbox, Box, or Egnyte for heavy outside sharing, very large files, or hybrid office access. Security comes from setup and a separate backup.
This guide compares the main business cloud storage providers side by side: what each business plan includes, who each one fits, where each falls short, and the settings that make any of them secure. We last checked plan details on November 1, 2026. Plans change often, so confirm the current terms before you buy. It is written for offices in New York and New Jersey, but the comparison applies anywhere.
Key takeaways
- Pick the storage platform that fits the email, documents, and identity system your team already uses. Running two overlapping platforms is a common source of lost files and security gaps.
- Only business plans include an admin console for users, permissions, and sharing policies. Personal and consumer plans do not belong in a business.
- Advanced controls such as data loss prevention, retention policies, and detailed audit logs are often limited to higher-tier plans. Check before you buy.
- Cloud storage is not backup. Deletions, ransomware, and sync mistakes spread to every copy unless you have a separate, independent backup.
- Most cloud storage breaches come from configuration: shared links left open, missing MFA, former employees with access, or old apps connected to the account.
- Clean up permissions before you turn on AI assistants. Tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot can surface any file a user already has access to.
Business cloud storage compared
| Platform | Storage on business plans | Best fit | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft 365: OneDrive and SharePoint | 1 TB of OneDrive per user on Business plans (up to 300 users), plus shared SharePoint and Teams libraries | Offices on Outlook, Teams, and Windows | Messy folder moves, over-shared links, and assuming built-in retention is a backup |
| Google Workspace: Drive and shared drives | Pooled across the company: 30 GB per user on Business Starter, 2 TB on Business Standard, 5 TB on Business Plus (up to 300 users) | Teams working in Gmail, Docs, and Sheets | Important files left in personal "My Drive" folders when people leave |
| Dropbox | Shared team storage, starting at 3 TB on Standard and 15 TB on Advanced | Fast sync and very large files, popular with creative and field teams | A second identity and admin console alongside Microsoft 365 or Google |
| Box | Unlimited storage on business plans (minimum three users), with per-file upload limits from 5 GB to 150 GB by plan | Controlled sharing with clients and vendors, workflows, and regulated industries | Duplicate storage if staff also keep files in OneDrive or Google Drive |
| Egnyte | Set by plan | Hybrid setups where large project files need fast local access plus the cloud | More setup and policy decisions than simpler tools |
| End-to-end encrypted storage: Tresorit, Proton Drive, Sync.com | Set by plan | Small sets of highly sensitive files the provider must not be able to read | Fewer integrations, more limited search and previews, and careful key recovery planning |
| Local server or NAS, alone or hybrid | Whatever hardware you buy | Very large files, older software, and fast on-site access | Hardware upkeep, physical security, and the need for an offsite backup |
There is no single winner. A 15-person accounting office on Microsoft 365, a design studio moving terabytes of project files, and a healthcare practice sharing records with outside specialists will each end up with a different answer.
Which cloud storage is best for your business?
Best for Microsoft 365 offices: OneDrive and SharePoint
If your team already works in Outlook, Teams, and Word, this is usually the right answer, and you are probably already paying for it. Every user on a Microsoft 365 Business plan gets 1 TB of OneDrive storage for their own work files, while SharePoint and Teams hold shared department libraries. Access runs through the same Microsoft account used for email, with multi-factor authentication, version history, retention policies, and conditional access on Business Premium. The common problems are rarely the platform itself: a rushed folder migration, links shared with "anyone," and personal OneDrive folders holding files the whole team needs.
Best for Google Workspace teams: Google Drive and shared drives
For teams in Gmail, Docs, and Sheets, Drive is the natural home. Storage is pooled across the organization: 30 GB per user on Business Starter, 2 TB on Business Standard, and 5 TB on Business Plus. Keep anything the company owns in shared drives, so files stay put when someone leaves. Higher tiers add stronger controls, including Vault for retention and legal hold on Business Plus.
Best for large files and simple sync: Dropbox
Dropbox is known for fast, dependable sync and easy handling of very large files, which makes it popular with creative, video, and field teams. Team plans share storage across the team, starting at 3 TB on Standard and 15 TB on Advanced, with admin controls, team folders, and groups. Single sign-on and tiered admin roles start on Advanced. For an office already on Microsoft 365 or Google, the tradeoff is a second set of accounts, permissions, and sharing rules to manage.
Best for sharing with clients and regulated work: Box
Box focuses on controlled sharing with clients, vendors, and partners, plus workflows around documents. Its business plans include unlimited storage with a minimum of three users, and the per-file upload limit grows by plan, from 5 GB on Business to 150 GB on Enterprise Plus. Granular permissions and compliance features make it a frequent choice for healthcare, legal, and financial firms. If you add Box next to OneDrive or Google Drive, set clear rules for which files live where.
Best for hybrid office and cloud files: Egnyte
Egnyte combines cloud storage with fast local access to large project files, which suits architecture, engineering, and construction firms working with big drawings and models. It also adds governance features that find sensitive files and flag risky sharing. Expect more setup decisions than with simpler tools, so plan the folder structure and permissions before you migrate.
Best for the most sensitive files: end-to-end encrypted storage
Services such as Tresorit, Proton Drive, and Sync.com use end-to-end, zero-knowledge encryption: files are encrypted on your own devices, and the provider cannot read them. That suits small volumes of highly sensitive material, such as legal, HR, or board files. The tradeoffs are fewer integrations, more limited search and previews, and AI features that cannot read the content. Account and key recovery need careful planning. Most businesses use encrypted storage for a specific set of files, not as their main file system.
Which cloud storage plans include admin controls and user permissions?
The business plans of Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox, Box, and Egnyte all include an admin console where you can add and remove users, control permissions, and set sharing policies. Personal and consumer plans do not. If employees are storing company files in personal accounts, the business cannot see, control, or recover those files when someone leaves.
Beyond the basics, the plan tier matters. Features such as data loss prevention, sensitivity labels, retention and legal hold, detailed audit logs, single sign-on, and advanced device management are often included only in higher tiers. Before you choose, list the controls your business actually needs, then confirm which plan includes them.
What makes cloud storage secure?
Every major platform encrypts data and runs on secure data centers. The weak points are almost always in how an account is configured and managed. A secure setup includes:
- Multi-factor authentication for every user and every administrator, with no exceptions for executives.
- Least-privilege permissions, so people see the folders their role needs and nothing more.
- Sharing link defaults that limit links to people inside the company, or set them to expire, instead of "anyone with the link."
- Device controls that block syncing to unmanaged personal devices and allow a remote wipe of company data.
- Audit logs and sharing reports that someone actually reviews.
- Offboarding that removes access and transfers file ownership the day someone leaves.
- A review of connected apps. Backup tools, e-signature apps, and integrations often hold broad access to every file. The ConnectWise SkyKick breach showed how a vendor connection to Microsoft 365 can become a way in.
- Permissions that are ready for AI. Assistants such as Microsoft 365 Copilot can find any file a user has access to, so over-shared folders become much easier to stumble on. Our Copilot readiness guide covers the cleanup.
- A separate backup with restores that are tested, not assumed.
Cloud storage, sync, and backup are not the same thing
This is where many businesses get caught. Cloud storage makes files available. Sync keeps folders the same across devices. Backup keeps separate, protected copies you can restore after deletion, ransomware, a compromised account, or a vendor problem.
Because sync copies every change everywhere, a ransomware-encrypted folder or an accidental deletion spreads to every device and the cloud. Microsoft, Google, Dropbox, and Box all keep deleted items and older versions for a limited time, but that is not the same as an independent backup the business controls.
Use this article to choose where files live day to day. For protected copies and restore testing, read our business cloud backup guide. If an incident has already made data unavailable, follow the business data loss response guide.
How much cloud storage does a business need?
Start with what you have: the size of your current file server or shared folders, your largest project or media files, and how fast that total has grown over the past two years. Then compare it with how each platform hands out space. Microsoft 365 gives each user their own OneDrive allowance, Google Workspace pools storage across the company, and Dropbox and Box allocate storage to the team as a whole.
Offices of 10 to 50 people working mostly with documents and spreadsheets usually fit within the storage that comes with their Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace plan. Firms with video, imaging, CAD drawings, or years of scanned archives need a closer estimate, and sometimes a hybrid design with a local server for the largest files.
Choosing by company size and type
Small offices
Use the storage built into the platform you already pay for. Most small offices on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace do not need a second file service. Spend the effort on folder structure, sharing settings, MFA, and backup instead.
Companies with 250 to 1,000 employees
At this size, governance matters as much as features, and the Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace Business plans stop at 300 users, so most companies move to their Enterprise plans. Look for single sign-on through your identity provider, department-level permissions, retention policies, data loss prevention, and reporting that shows who shared what. Box and Egnyte are strong when outside collaboration or hybrid file access is a big part of the work.
Regulated industries
Healthcare, financial, and legal offices need retention rules, audit trails, and access controls that hold up to an auditor or insurer. Several major platforms, including Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Box, and Dropbox, offer a HIPAA business associate agreement on eligible business plans. The agreement covers the vendor's side. Configuring the account correctly is still your responsibility.
Large files and multiple locations
Architecture, engineering, video, and imaging work can strain a cloud-only setup. A hybrid design, with a local server or NAS for fast access and the cloud for sharing and resilience, often works better. It has to be planned carefully, or teams end up with duplicate folders and unclear ownership. Branch offices raise the same question: who needs fast local access, and who can work from the cloud.
Applications and object storage
Some data does not behave like office files: databases, camera footage, large archives, and application data. That usually means cloud object storage or a vendor platform, planned around access, encryption, retention, and recovery rather than treated as a shared folder. If your application or backup software supports S3-compatible storage, IDrive e2 is one option worth comparing with other object-storage providers. Disclosure: This is a referral link, and Spot On Tech may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
How do you move a business to cloud storage?
- Take inventory. List where files live today: servers, NAS devices, personal cloud accounts, email attachments, and USB drives.
- Clean up first. Archive or delete stale files, and fix folder structure and permissions before the move, not after.
- Decide ownership. Choose which folders become shared company libraries and which stay with individuals.
- Set security before people move in. MFA, sharing defaults, device rules, and admin roles go in first.
- Move in waves and test. Migrate one department at a time, check permissions and links, and keep the old copy read-only for a short period.
- Turn on backup. Confirm the new storage is covered by an independent backup, then run a test restore.
Questions to answer before you choose
- Which files and applications are critical to daily operations?
- Which systems hold client, patient, financial, or employee data?
- Who needs access, including vendors and outside collaborators?
- Which admin and security controls do you need, and which plan includes them?
- How long do files need to be kept?
- How quickly would you need files back after deletion or ransomware?
- Who will manage permissions, offboarding, and backups after the setup is done?
How Spot On Tech helps
Spot On Tech helps businesses across New York and New Jersey choose and set up secure cloud storage as part of how we run their IT, not as a separate vendor project.
- Discovery: We review your current folders, cloud accounts, servers, users, vendors, and sensitive data.
- Decision support: We compare Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, dedicated file platforms, local storage, and hybrid options against how your team works.
- Migration: We clean up folder structure and permissions first, then move, then test.
- Security setup: We configure MFA, sharing rules, administrator access, device controls, retention, and connected-app reviews.
- Backup and recovery: We connect storage to our cloud storage and data backup service so files can be restored, not just opened.
- Ongoing support: We help users, adjust permissions, handle offboarding, and report on access and backup gaps.
Backup design matters most when normal recovery assumptions fail. In one incident, we helped a healthcare facility recover after ransomware reached more than 10 servers and the backup environment.
If you are comparing cloud storage providers, cleaning up file sharing, or unsure whether your current storage is backed up, talk with Spot On Tech.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best cloud storage for business?
For most businesses, it is the storage built into the platform they already use: OneDrive and SharePoint for Microsoft 365, or Google Drive and shared drives for Google Workspace. Box, Dropbox, or Egnyte make sense for heavy outside sharing, very large files, or hybrid office and cloud access. Security depends mostly on configuration and a separate backup.
What is the most secure cloud storage for business?
End-to-end encrypted services such as Tresorit, Proton Drive, and Sync.com offer the strongest privacy, because the provider cannot read your files. For everyday work, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace are secure when configured well, with MFA, limited sharing, device controls, audit logs, and an independent backup.
Is OneDrive or Google Drive more secure for business?
Both are secure platforms when configured well. The bigger risks are the same on either one: missing multi-factor authentication, links shared with anyone, former employees with access, and no independent backup. Choose based on the tools your team already uses, then lock down the settings.
Is Dropbox or Box better for business?
Dropbox is usually better for fast sync and very large files, such as video and design work. Box is usually better for controlled sharing with clients and vendors, document workflows, and regulated industries. Both work best when they are the clear home for specific files, not a second copy of everything in Microsoft 365 or Google.
How much cloud storage does a small business need?
Measure your current shared folders and file server, add expected growth, then compare with the plan. Offices working mostly with documents usually fit within the 1 TB per user in Microsoft 365 Business plans or the pooled storage in Google Workspace Business Standard. Video, CAD, and imaging firms need a closer estimate.
Which cloud storage plans include admin controls and user permissions?
Business plans from Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, Dropbox, Box, and Egnyte include an admin console for users, permissions, and sharing policies. Personal plans do not. Advanced features such as data loss prevention, retention policies, single sign-on, and detailed audit logs are often limited to higher tiers.
Is cloud storage the same as backup?
No. Cloud storage and sync copy changes everywhere, including deletions and ransomware damage. Backup keeps separate copies you can restore. Built-in version history and recycle bins help with small mistakes, but they are not a replacement for an independent backup.
Is cloud storage safe for sensitive business files?
Yes, when the account is configured correctly. Several major platforms offer a HIPAA business associate agreement on eligible business plans. You still need MFA, least-privilege permissions, sharing limits, audit logs, retention rules, and a tested backup.
What is the best cloud storage for a company with 250 to 1,000 employees?
Usually the Enterprise plans of Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace, because their Business plans stop at 300 users and the Enterprise tiers tie storage to single sign-on, department permissions, retention, and data loss prevention. Box or Egnyte are strong additions when outside collaboration or large hybrid files are central to the work.
Do we still need a NAS or local server if we use cloud storage?
Only for specific needs, such as very large files, legacy applications, or fast on-site access. Many offices retire local file servers entirely. If you keep one, it needs monitoring, security updates, and an offsite backup like any other system.
